1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to management of multiple subscriber numbers in a single subscriber identity card, and more particularly, to apparatuses and methods for providing a multi-standby mode of wireless communications using a single subscriber identity card with multiple subscriber numbers.
2. Description of the Related Art
With growing demand for ubiquitous computing and networking, various wireless communication technologies have been developed, such as the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology, Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA 2000) technology, Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) technology, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, Time-Division LTE (TD-LTE) technology, and others. Generally, a cellular phone only supports one wireless communication technology and provides the user the flexibility of mobile communications at all times via the supported wireless communication technology, regardless of his/her geographic location. Especially in today's business world, a cellular phone is becoming a necessary business tool for conducting business conveniently. For business people, having an additional cellular phone exclusive for business matters is a common choice, since they need to conduct business while out of the office or even out of the city/country. Others may find having an additional cellular phone is a good way to save/control the budget for wireless service charges (including phone services and/or data services). However, having two or more than two cellular phones may be troublesome when one has to switch frequently between the cellular phones and carry around all the cellular phones with himself/herself.
In order to provide a convenient way of having multiple subscriber numbers, dual-card cellular phones have been developed, which generally have two wireless communication modules for respectively performing wireless transmission and reception with an individual subscriber number. Alternatively, the design of a single subscriber identity card having a plurality of subscriber numbers has also been developed for a single-card cellular phones to retrieve the subscriber numbers in the single subscriber identity card and to be able to perform the wireless transmission and reception using different subscriber numbers. Note that, a single-card cellular phone, which supports a single subscriber identity card having a plurality of subscriber numbers, may only activate one subscriber number at a time via the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Application Toolkit (SAT). That is, only a single standby mode of wireless communications may be provided in the single-card cellular phone with the activated subscriber number. If the user decides to use wireless services with another subscriber number, he/she may have to manually switch the activated subscriber number to the desired one via the SAT. As a result, Mobile-Terminated (MT) calls associated with the inactivated subscriber numbers will be missed and inconveniences may occur.